Mass Media

The term mass media refers to communications that reach a large audience. The media bring news, opinion, entertainment, and advertising to vast numbers of people. Newspapers, magazines, books, television, radio, movies, and the Internet are all forms of mass media. In 2016, the Internet alone was bringing information to more than 3.5 billion users worldwide. The distribution of information to the public has been a concern since the early days of civilization. Ancient Greeks studied the art of rhetoric—effective speaking and writing—so that they could speak to their fellow citizens about matters of public concern. Through the centuries, new technologies changed the way information was spread. The invention of the printing press, estimated to have occurred in the year 1440,...